The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-11-16
HANDLING MONEY.
The Wonderful Skill of London
Bank Tellers.
Annual Loss from Wear and Tear of Gold
Coin-yarious Features of the
Scotch and American
Banking Systems.

A London bank teller always eN
pcriences feeling of relief when HI
1inds his money correct at the close O
Fridays work, and this feeling i
usually shared by the rest of the staff
who can not leave the bank until h,
either discovers his error or Statistic:
himself as to the actual shortage The
great bulk of the shortage made across
bank counters in England are believed
TO occur on that day. Whether or not
there is any truth in the superstition
concerning Friday being an unlucky
day for the teller, or whether the errors
are caused by the carelessness which
is always more or less the result of a
slack day, is an open question. The
belief is simply recorded as an &C
knowlcdged and experienced fact.
Next in the order of bad days for the
teller, or cashiers as he is designated
in London, comes Saturday, but there
the bad luck is ineligible. Saturday
is wages day, and no sooner has the
teller filled his till and loaded up his
shelves with silver in Is and Flo bags
than the days work sets in like q
flood. Until twelve clock he is pay.
ing away with both hands; after that
hour, if he is receiving clerk as well,
he begins to receive heavily, for Sat-
urday is also the last day of the week,
and every one elects that the bank
should receive his deposits rather than
that he should keep them in his own
less-securc custody over Sunday.
In beginning work OH Saturday the
London teller faces an open mahogany
counter, of which the portion control
ed by his desk is probably six feet
long by three feet wide. He likes to
have good square view of his Gus
toner, and it is one of the canons of
British banking that the eyes of the
staff shall command the counter.
There is to be said in defence of the
system, it requires considerably more
hardlhood to penetrate a swindle in
the open view of an English bank than
1t does at q pigeon-hole in q fenced-in
counter, and, in addition, q well.train-
ed bank staff accustomed to each
others ways by long contact, and
familiar as well with the ustomers of
the establishment, are often able to
render valuable aid to the teller, and
the bank for that matter, in variety
of ways.
With such IN open counter the chief
clerk is also able to keep the whole
held under his eye at one time, and
relieve the overstrain at any particu-
lar desk. The effect of the exposed |
condition is beneficial too on the staff.
lne members of which preserve n |
s!cadier demeanor and attend more |
closely to business while thus under
the eyes of the public. But such an
exposed situation demands q steady |
Nerve on the part of the teller, who
VIII some times have as many as
score of customers waiting at
one time. He need, how
ever only observe the golden
rue in order 10 insure correctness:
NO hurry, and finish ono transaction
oeiore you begin another" His great
will be to endeavor to get
III, IN Oh the press of people by cashing
inc checks demanding coin without
.n'erlng them in his money-book at
!, ,ne moment leaving that for the first
, u. In the days business. In doing
. u. nc is depriving himself of almost
'ne only safeguard against loss.
The London teller is probably the
quickest manipulation of coin in the
world. This is largely owing to the
TACT that the smallest note issued in
w. is Of the value of Is, or S25.
"hen asked for gold in greater
amount than his eye can count at q
anee the teller, after counting it
Y with pianoforte action,
i; 1t with his copper scoop into
n's faithful scales, and so checks his
.oua1 The weights of these scales
NJ me arranged in suitable numbers.
- tae teller also checks the gold which
L receives by weight, and here his
: .oWledge OF his business will be
.ss'eu' One hundred new sovereigns
s s oitull weight, rather more, in fact,
su' Inc same number taken at hap
|. VIII be found to be nearly half |
nsoserelgn Cor per cent.) short in
"e'snf' while one hundred
: a'os in ordinary half sover-
l;s sus are sometimes twenty shil-
III Tor l per cent? short in
sue The teller san quickly |,